3.3 Professional standards

In addition to ensuring the quality of drugs, the state is also
in the best position to ensure the quality of the health professionals who
prescribe, administer and dispense drugs to patients. The state, therefore, has
a responsibility to maintain adequate and appropriate educational standards for
pharmacists, doctors and other health professionals, to ensure through the
licensing process that these standards have been met, and to ensure that codes
of conduct are developed and implemented. Professional associations or councils
generally play a key role in each of these
functions.